Tapioca sale re-negotiated

       The Commerce Ministry will ask for cabinet approval to sell 200,000 tonnes of tapioca starch to China in a governmentto-government deal at a re-negotiated price of 8,000 baht a tonne, says Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai.
       The ministry negotiated a higher price from the earlier agreed price of 7,950 baht a tonne. The cabinet blocked the initial deal because the government could get a better price by selling in the domestic market.
       "The Foreign Trade Department will propose details for the cabinet's consideration today," she said.
       "We didn't sell tapioca starch at prices below the minimum target because members of a sub-committee on the releasing of farm products set the selling price at 7,600 baht a tonne."
       Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu had told the ministry to renegotiate with its Chinese counterparts,as the proposed price was lower than the 8,300 baht per tonne paid by Thai firms to buy government stocks.
       Mrs Porntiva said the selling price was not very high but was within the approved selling range of 7,600 to 8,100 baht a tonne. The Thai-Chinese deal will help strengthen bilateral relations and increase Thailand's share of the global tapioca starch market in the long term, she said.
       In the government's rice-supporting scheme, Ms Porntiva said 632 rice millers in 57 provinces had registered to act as buyers for paddy entering the government's option plan.
       About 60 millers in 20 provinces where the paddy harvest has begun are already active in the scheme.